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CSM believes the most important editorial in our magazine are the great letters we get from you.
It is your voices that make the most interesting stories and capture the heart of Cecil County.
We encourage you to share your thoughts and memories with us all, before they are lost.
Thank you — ETB

For more letters, visit our website: www.cecilsoilmagazine.com
and possibly win a free Cecil Soil t-shirt.

Sincerely yours,
Ed Belote Sr, Publisher

P.S.— We've provided a simple and convenient form that you may use, if you wish.

November / December 2007...

Dear Ed and Carol,

On behalf of Aunt Verdie I want to Thank you for placing her in your Cecil Soil Family Magazine for the past two years. Your magazine has done a superior job capturing the true Aunt Verdie; a woman with great wisdom that is honest, kind, witty, loving and a blessing to everyone she meets. She is our gift from God. We are so glad you both were able to take time from your very busy pace to slow down and join her on her 105th birthday. Time is a precious gift and the best thing one person can give another. You both are so gentle, loving and giving it is a pleasure for all of us to have you as our extended family.

Love and God Bless,
Cathy M. Shifflett
Conowingo, Maryland

Dear Sir,

Some weeks ago I was talking to you regarding my subscription to Cecil Soil Magazine. During our conversation you suggested and encouraged me to write you a letter regarding my life, since I’m 90-years old.

I was born on September 17, 1916, on a little farm on Jackson Station Road (across the road from the Cecil County Holly Tree.) I played We love getting your wonderful letters to share with the entire county. For more letters, visit our website: www.cecilsoilmagazine. com and possibly win a free Cecil Soil t-shirt. CSM Mailbox under this tree as a child, eventually becoming a member of the first Holly Tree Committee. I attended the first lighting ceremony and many more after that. The B & O Railroad trimmed it (they would send a train for the opening ceremonies) until turning it over to the county in 1972.

I vividly remember the depression – we lived on a small farm and had plenty to eat and wood for warmth, but no unnecessary conveniences and not much money. My family consisted of my grandparents, Eli and Maribel Jackson, parents Munson and Claribel Jackson, sisters Lillian and Rebecca, and brothers Edward and Craig. Grandfather farmed in the summer, and gunned for ducks in the winter, sending Canvasbacks to Baltimore for $5 per pair. Father was a Judge of the Orphan’s Court at one time, and sister Rebecca was Treasurer of Cecil County for many years.

We all had chores to do – mine was to fill the wood box in the kitchen, help plant the garden, thin corn (a thing of the past) and feed the chickens. The church was the center of our activities, with an occasional trip to Holloway Beach in Charlestown.

When I attended high school, my allowance was $.25 per week. I graduated from the two-room Principio School, Perryville High School and two years at Tome School. There were no buses in the county, so we would stand at the intersection of RT 7 and Jackson Station Road and “hook a ride” to McMullen’s Garage - now Riverside Market, and then walk Aiken Avenue to the school. Many people working at Perry Point knew us, so there was never a problem.

I married Howard C. McGuirk on September 4, 1940, and have three children – daughters Lynn Tate and Bonnie Giraldi, both of Perryville, Maryland, and son Howard C. McGuirk, Jr. of Massillon, Ohio. There are also five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

I worked at Social Security in Baltimore, and then transferred to Aberdeen Proving Ground, where I resigned with the pregnancy of my first child. When I went back to work after 17 years of raising children, I went to work for the County Commissioners of Cecil County, staying there about 20 years until I retired.

These are some more of the things that I remember; we had an Atwater Kent floor model radio when I was a kid, and listened to Amos and Andy every night. There was no vandalism like there is now; everyone respected you and your property. I remember the traffic on RT 7 getting bad enough to make it necessary for RT 40, and eventually the construction of I-95. I walked the double-decker bridge over the Susquehanna River on many Saturday’s, with $.35 to spend - $.25 for a movie and $.10 for ice cream.

I also remember: the Bainbridge Naval Training Center at Port Deposit, a post office at Principio in the Whitaker Iron Company building, Schum’s Bakery on Aiken Avenue, the boarding house on the corner of Front and Broad Streets – ran by Grandmother Mary E. Owens, A.H. Owens on Front Street before moving to Broad Street, construction of the Conowingo Dam in 1926, and the coming of television, cell phones, VCR’s, DVD’s and iPods.

I am a member of the Principio United Methodist Church, the Principio Quilting Group and Eastern Star #78. At my quilting group, some of us make tie coverlets for the nursing homes and Perry Point. We’ve made 275 and sold 42 of them. We also make and sell quilts, plus quilt for other people. I’ve had a good, happy life and I am very thankful. I enjoy your magazine very much.

Sincerely,
Mildred O. McGuirk (Mimi)
Perryville, MD

Publishers Note: Thank you Mildred for sharing with all of us your remembrances of those innocent times you experienced in Cecil County. Readers: See pg. 53 for a delightful story; The Aiken Homemakers, by Maggie Creshkoff.

Dear Ed,

Maggie Creshkoff’s article on our Rumbleway Farm was wonderful, and we wanted to thank you. Our Farm Day was a great success; attendance was high and the weather was beautiful. The Farm Store had its grand opening and we look forward to your next visit to the farm. All in all it was another fun filled festival; we look forward to next year. Please join us this winter for Dinner at the Farm, and bring your grandkids to have Breakfast with Santa on Dec 8. We hope Cecil Soil Magazine has many more successful years.

Regards,
Mark and Robin Way
Rumbleway Farm

See Rumbleway ad page 35

Dear Mr. Belote,

Even though I live and work in Delaware (but was raised in Elkton), I have a friend who works at the Dupont Stine/Haskell labs on Elkton- Newark Rd., and she has started sending me her issue of Cecil Soil Magazine once she has read it (it seems that all employees at that site receive a copy).

As I was reading your article (on Page 6) about where your office is located, you mentioned some familiar names. My grandparents (Kelly and Elsie Halsey) had a farm in Rising Sun, just beyond the farm belonging to Joe Mahoney’s parents (my grandparents’ farm was further down the road on the left). When I was a very little girl, I would come spend a couple of weeks with my grandparents “on the farm” while my parents went on their own vacation. To give my stay some variety, my grandmother would often take me to the Mahoney’s to play with Joe and his older sister Sally. That was at least 50 years ago, and I’m sure that Joe probably doesn’t remember me (but I can still picture his house and his sister’s bedroom).

Your story went on to mention Joe’s wife “Anne”. If his wife is “Andrea” (Williams), who had beautiful red hair, then her brother, Frank Williams, was my “boyfriend” starting at Elkton Junior High School through Senior High. Wow…small world!

As I started reading the current issue, the article on Bob Litzenberg caught my eye because he and Esther (and children) lived in back of my parent’s home (Gil and Bert Halsey) in Elkton Heights when I was growing up (our backyards faced each other). And then on Page 60, I saw the photo of Judy (Schamne) Hart—who moved to Elkton from Chicago as a little girl and became my neighbor (on King St.) where we played with dolls together. Again…small world! My mother-in-law still lives in Elkton Heights, but was not aware of your publication. At what locations in the Elkton area can your magazine be found?

Thank you,
Linda (Halsey) Steele
Wilmington, DE
(but still interested in my home town/county)

Publisher’s Note: Linda, both Anne and Joe fondly remember you well, even though it has been over fifty years since all of you played together. CSM can be found in over 300 locations in this area, but they are snatched up quick… you’re best bet is to visit any of our advertisers where you should be able to find a copy.

Dear CSM,
Thank you so much for my Cecil Soil Sweatshirt. I really enjoy doing the puzzles. I also look forward to seeing what is in the next magazine to do.

Again, I look forward to continue reading Cecil Soil Magazine with it’s amazing and interesting things.

Thank you,
Mrs. Violet Miller
Port Deposit, MD

Dear Mr. Okonowicz,

Thank you for the delightful article you wrote in Cecil Soil Magazine on Mr. Bob Litzenberg! Bob’s wife, Esther, is my Book Buddy through the Cecil County Public Library. I visit her about once a month and bring her books. I must tell you that Esther was thrilled that Bob “hasn’t been forgotten” (her words). She is a precious woman and you have touched her. Thank you!

Cathryn Harjung
Elkton, Maryland

Dear CSM,

First off, I want to tell you that I LOVE your magazine... I look forward to each issue and read it cover to cover! I’ve grown up in Cecil County (and lived here my whole life except for going away to college in Iowa)... Cecil County just feels like home to me... I moved back and don’t intend to move anywhere else! My husband (he’s lived in Rising Sun his whole life & loves it) and I are very lucky to own a small horse farm in Rising Sun with seven lovely horses and three charming cats... that’s what I’ve always dreamed of—I don’t plan to leave!

One thing that I love about, Maryland and Cecil County is it’s rich history. You don’t find that in the ‘younger’ states. I love the old photos and history that your magazine covers! So often in the hustle and bustle of cell phones, laptops, high-speed Internet, and blackberries, people forget the history and heritage, which led us to where we are today, and they forget to slow down, enjoy life.

One of the things that I enjoy is reading the historic markers that are in the area. I was wondering if your magazine would ever consider doing a series on them? I also came across an interesting marker in Calvert (on Brick Meetinghouse Road—just past the intersection of 272 on the left as you’re heading towards Elkton)... it’s not an official roadside marker... I snapped this picture on my way home this morning. Apparently there used to be a tannery on the property. I thought it was interesting and thought that maybe the sleuths at Cecil Soil knew more about this.

Keep up the good work!!!
Mary K. Smith
Rising Sun, MD

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Belote,
We thoroughly enjoy your interesting magazine. Keep up the good work.

Sincerely,
Earl and Wanda Keller
Conowingo, Maryland

Dear Mr. Ed,

Look forward to your Cecil Soil Magazine every other month, which I pick up at the Elkton Diner. Never know what you are going to read about. I was born here in Cecil County and love it here. Keep writing about our area.

Virginia Allison Powell
Elkton, Maryland

Dear Mr. Belote,

My brother brought me another copy of Cecil Soil Magazine, which after reading it gives me two reasons for this letter.

The first reason for writing to you pertains to the copy of the post card on page 10 showing the tracks of the LC&S subsidiary of the B&O along the Little Elk Creek and reference to an article by Mike Dixon in a previous issue. Of the several railroad companies, which surveyed or proposed a line along the Little Elk Creek from the construction suspended at Providence. I had developed an interest in trains since Pe rryville had a busy freight yard in the 1930’s and there was still passenger service on the lower end of P&BC. That developed into an interest in railroad history, primarily the lines of the PRR, but also of the B&O in this area. I would like very much to obtain a copy of the article by Mike Dixon or even a photocopy of the article if possible.

The second deals with getting in an Austin Healy as show on page 56 of the September- October issue of Cecil Soil Magazine (Bert Shirey photo in Cecil Scrapbook). For many years I drove an Austin Healey but a slightly later model then the “bug eye” shown in the photo. I went from a big Austin Healey six cylinder Austin Healey down to a four cylinder Sprite because my wife didn’t want our oldest son driving that fast a car when he turned sixteen.

When I had the Sprite, I was not 6’1” like Mr. Bert Shirey, I was 5’9” and shall we say somewhat bulky and was in my 40’s on into my 50’s. My explanation for getting in a Sprite was to put your right foot in and just flow in behind it. Just don’t hi the turn signal lever with your left knee, I found out the hard way they broke easily. Getting out was indeed a different matter, although at the time I had no problem, passengers often did. We had a UD graduate student volunteering on the Wilmington & Western Railroad in the late 1960 and early 1970 era, who did not have a car. One evening after we finished for the day, I offered to take him to where he roomed in Newark. I thought I was going to have to take the top off the Healey to get him out of it. There was a special spirit of camaraderie among the drivers of such cars back then.

Richard E. Hall
Wilmington, Delaware

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